Park and Recreation - Prince Georges County MD

Hidden Spaces Tour
2026-05-10 15:30 - 17:00 (America/Halifax)
Learning about architecture and history, active engagement, walking, and staying fit.

Voices of the Past: Black Music of the Colonial Period and Forgotten Patriots
2026-05-16 16:00 - 17:00
This riveting, narrated recital takes audience members back to America’s colonial period to explore the music, instruments, voices, and lives of enslaved Africans and forgotten patriots. The music will include period instruments, traditional folk songs, patriotic selections, and Negro spirituals performed by Black musicians. Produced by the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA).

Black Birders Week 2026
2026-05-23 - 2026-05-30
Founded in 2020, Black Birders Week is an annual celebration that highlights the intersection of birds, people, and environmental justice. The annual event celebrates Black birders, naturalists, scientists, and outdoor enthusiasts, and advocates for the inclusion, safety, and visibility of Black people in birding and outdoor spaces.

This year’s theme, Flyways & Freedom: Advocacy, Action, and the Future, honors the pathways birds have always followed and the freedom of movement they represent. It asks us this important question: what could freedom look like if we moved through the world without barriers?

Join us in May for a week of birding programs that explore this idea through learning, community, and exploration!

FREE, but space is limited. Registration required.

1. Black Birders Week Kickoff Talk & Boat Tour

Bladensburg Waterfront Park

Saturday, May 23, 8-9:30 am

Learn about Black Birders Week, then take a boat tour on the Anacostia River.

2. Birding Kayak Tour

Bladensburg Waterfront Park

Wednesday, May 27, 6-7:30 pm

Join a park naturalist for a birdy-ful evening paddle through wetlands and tributaries along the Anacostia River.

3. Beaks, Feet, & Feathers Boat Tour

Bladensburg Waterfront Park

Saturday, May 30, 2-3 pm

Board our pontoon boat to explore common birds in the Anacostia Watershed.

4. Bird Research: M.A.P.S

Patuxent River Park

Saturday, May 30, 9-10 am

Join hands‑on bird research with wildlife experts working to protect breeding bird populations along the Patuxent River.

5. Wings of Watkins

Watkins Nature Center

Saturday, May 30, 1-1:45 pm

Learn about raptors during a live training and flight demonstration.

Contact Info:

Bladensburg Waterfront ParkEmail: Bladensburgwp@pgparks.comCall: 301-779-0371

Black Birders Week: Kickoff Talk & Tour
2026-05-23 08:00 - 09:30
As part of the Black Birders Week series celebrating and uplifting Black birders, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts, participants will join a park naturalist for a discussion on the history and significance of the movement. The presentation is followed by a bird‑themed pontoon boat tour along the Anacostia River. All attendees must register.

From Wright "B" to F-4 Phantom II: Fighter Combat in Vietnam Living History Tour
2026-05-23 11:00 - 11:45
Experience the thrill of being a combat pilot and walk in the footsteps of those who flew from 1909 to 1970. Led by a military historian clad in authentic, Vietnam War-era flight gear, discover the stories of the people and events that led from College Park Airport to Southeast Asia, from the early age of flight to the age of jet propulsion. In the face of challenges, learn about the evolution of flight, and the people who were involved. Explore how the Tuskegee Experience opened the doors to a desegregated military, which led to integrated skies. Registration required. Includes museum admission.

Souls Seeking Freedom Walking Tour: The Untold Story of Enslavement and Resistance at Montpelier
2026-05-23 14:00 - 15:00
Health and wellness, fostering community engagement, building trust, and learning diverse perspectives and inclusive history.

Black Birders Week: Beaks, Feet, & Feathers Boat Tour
2026-05-30 14:00 - 15:00
As part of Black Birders Week, this event celebrates and uplifts Black birders, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts. Join a naturalist aboard the park pontoon boat to explore the birdlife of the Anacostia River while cruising downstream. All attendees must register.

The African Odyssey Exhibition
2026-06-11 10:00 - 2026-11-01 17:00
This exhibition is only open Thursdays-Sundays each week. It is closed on Mondays-Wednesdays

Montpelier is honored to present, in collaboration with the Braxton Institute, Dr. Joanne Braxton’s moving photography of her odyssey to Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. The exhibit explores an unexpected, very personal story and an encounter with ancestral memory. As a descendant of African people enslaved at Montpelier, she hopes that you will see and feel some of what she saw and felt as she journeyed to discover the meaning of the words of her grandmother, Emma Harrison, “My father always said that we have a home over there.” Through her photography, she honors her enslaved great-grandfather, William Harrison, and “diasporic Africans, unwilling immigrants to the Chesapeake in the 17th and 18th centuries.”

This exhibition is produced in collaboration with the Braxton Institute for Sustainability, Resiliency and Joy.

A Legacy of Integration: The African American Citizen-Soldier and the Continental Army by Noel Poirier
2026-06-11 19:00 - 20:00
This lecture explores the often-overlooked contributions of African American soldiers in the Continental Army and reframes the narrative of the Revolutionary War by emphasizing the courage, sacrifice, and significance of African American citizen-soldiers in shaping America’s first integrated military force. Lecture with Question & Answer Session. To register, call the museum.

Juneteenth 2026
2026-06-13 12:00 - 17:00
Bring the whole family for live music, local artists and vendors, history exhibits, kids’ activities, food trucks, and much more! Celebrate freedom, heritage, and community through music, culture, and fun. Featuring performances from Rare Essence, Proverbs Reggae Band, Soul in Motion, and Got My Own Sound Band.

EntertainmentActivitiesArtistsParticipating Vendors
Entertainment
Featuring performances by:

Rare Essence

Soul in Motion

Proverbs Reggae Band

Got my own sound band

Rare Essence

Activities
More information on the 2026 activities coming soon. Potential and past activities include:

History Experiences

Hands-on Activities

Immersive History

Live Demonstrations

Art Activities
Create your own work of art with Arts on a Roll!

Arts on a Roll is M-NCPPC’s mobile art service, offering unique theatre, dance, music, and visual arts workshops for the young and young-at-heart!

Spray Paint Graffiti Wall Group Murals with artists from Words Beats and Life!

About the organization: We are unapologetic advocates for the transformative power of Hip-Hop culture in all its forms, empowering artists to relentlessly create and refine systems that demonstrate positive change through our individual and collective brilliance. We embrace the sacred nature of our work and our roles as keepers and innovators of our culture.

Move and express yourself with dancers from Taratibu Youth Association!

About the organization: Taratibu Youth Organization provides transformative experiences through performing arts for the youth of the African Diaspora, cultivating socially responsible change agents within the Pan-African community and beyond.

Artists
More information on the 2026 Artists coming soon.

Participating Vendors
More information on the 2026 vendors coming soon.

Self-Emancipators History
2026-06-18 - 2026-06-21
Please join us as we commemorate Juneteenth with stories of freedom seekers from Marietta, today an historic site, which included the Jackson, Duckett, Brown, and Butler families.

Thursday, June 18-Sunday, June 21, at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.

June 18

June 19

June 20

June 21

Gather on the Green: Black Music Through Time
2026-06-18 17:00 - 20:00
Celebrate Black Music Month this June at Concord Historic Site! On June 18, join us to celebrate Black Music Month on the green with headlining band Black History.

From work songs to spirituals, from blues to hip-hop, the African American musical tradition has long been rooted in resistance, serving as both soundtrack and catalyst for movements demanding freedom and justice.

As the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, we reflect not only on 250 years of the nation’s history, but on more than 400 years of Black life, creativity, and triumph on these shores.

The June edition of Gather on the Green features a powerful program that uplifts the voices, rhythms, and stories that have shaped generations of Black life and cultural expression.

The Black History band evokes the West African storytelling tradition in a unique musical narrative style coined “griot soul.”

Join us as we celebrate this enduring lyrical legacy and move together toward a more just and liberatory future.

Gather on the Green is a free summer concert series at Concord Historic Site that takes place the third Thursday of each month.

Tuskegee Airmen Take to the Skies: Living History Tour
2026-07-11 11:00 - 11:45
Experience the thrill of being a World War II combat pilot and walk in the footsteps of the Tuskegee Airmen. Led by a military historian clad in World War II period attire, discover the stories of the 992 Tuskegee Airmen who earned their “silver wings.” In the face of segregation and adversity, the Tuskegee Airmen became pioneers in aviation, destroying stereotypes and opening doors for future African American aviators. Explore the Tuskegee connections to the Civilian Pilots Training Program, Columbia Air Center, and their legacy in modern aviation.

Registration required. Includes museum admission.

Gather on the Green: The Cookout
2026-07-16 17:00 - 20:00
You are invited to the cookout!

Join us on the green in July at Concord Historic Site for Black joy, celebration, and gathering – set to the tune of classic cookout songs and line dances.

This event is guaranteed fun for the whole family, with spades, games, and a double dutch workshop led by the Bowie branch of the 40+ Double Dutch Club.

Enjoy an outdoor exhibit about the history of African American family reunions and experience the DMV’s hot new mobile party series, Groove Haul!

Come to Concord to be in community, celebrate Black history, and have a good time!

Gather on the Green is a free summer concert series at Concord Historic Site that takes place the third Thursday of each month.

13th Annual Wine & Jazz at Marietta
2026-08-01 13:00 - 17:00
Celebrate African American jazz heritage with local popular musicians at the Marietta Historic Site & Museum. In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the event will include a traditional African drum performance to honor the roots of American jazz. Visit food and craft vendors and shop at the Farmers Market. Stroll through the booths of local Maryland wineries and sample their delicious wines.

Early Bird: $10/person online until July 25, 2026.

Regular Price: $15/person online and at gate. Cash only at the gate.

Rain Date: August 8, 2026

Revolution, Rebellion, Treason: A Slice of History Discussion Series
2026-08-27 16:00 - 17:30, 2026-10-29 16:00 - 17:30
What are the differences between revolutions, rebellions, and acts of treason? Join the Surratt Historic Site & Museum as we take a long view of sparking change in American history, beginning with the Declaration of Independence and concluding with our present day. Intended for our youngest and soon-to-be leaders, this program will facilitate a shared understanding of what it means to be an engaged citizen in 2026 and beyond.

Part 1: Thursday, August 27, 4 pm

Part 2: Thursday, October 29, 4 pm

Women’s Rights and the American Revolution by Dr. Richard Bell
2026-09-10 19:00 - 20:00
In the decade leading up to American independence, white women took on crucial roles in a series of boycotts, petitions, and protests that allowed them to assert themselves as political actors as never before. The lecture examines the struggle to define white women’s place in politics, voting, and public leadership. Lecture with Question & Answer Session. To register, call the museum.

Untold Stories of the American Revolution by Dr. Richard Bell
2026-10-08 19:00 - 20:00
Most people know something about the American Revolution and about the Founding Fathers. But the full story of the Revolution requires us to look beyond their lives and expand its cast of characters. This lecture examines four other revolutionary lives: an immigrant propagandist, a female soldier, a fugitive from slavery, and the grieving widow who became the most important Native American leader during the war. Virtual lecture with Q&A session. To register, call the museum.
